Official Backers of New Album “One Good Day”

The overwhelming generosity of the following group of people has made it possible for me to say “Yes! I’m making a new album!” Their combined support over the past month and a half through my fundraising project on Kickstarter has allowed me to raise the required funding, and I could not be more appreciative.

So, ladies and gentlemen, my new album “One Good Day” was made by the following people. In no particular order, the Official Backers are:

Stephanie Hammon

Catherine Wende

Kelly Armbruster

Craig J. Crisera

Donna Farthing Weaver

Brandy Schuster

Teta Martin

Lynn Dorr

Sherry Lewis

Tad Lewis

Rosalind Pipes

Lee Pipes

Diane Cash

Julia Rice

Boris Rice

Jessica Rendesnou

Melanie Hendrix

Deborah Duplant

Mk Miller

Lionel Vargas

Marc Snay

Karey Gallagher

Betsy Huete

Barbara Wende

Raymond Wende

Lori Harrison

Karen Muller

Dawn Johnson

Erin Gaines

Lisette Cole

Brian Bourgeois

Vicki Gosler

Tom Cox

Donna Cox

Kaysie Zwahr

Printa32

Corrie

Stephen Christopher

Ashley Schultea

Dixie

Diana Shaw

Dana Ruppert

Stacey Smith

Amanda Young

Jennifer Schaffer

The Usual Pub

Mindy Brandli

Debbie Pustejovsky

Hua Liu

Lisa Glasscock

Sandra Semaan

Ray Lewis

Nancy Lewis

Ashley Dernick

Jodie Connor

Patty Depierri

Wendy Rea

Ricardo Klaassen

Christian Arrambide

Maggie

Caitlin Cloyd

Jeremy Jansen

Cameron Caruthers

Cathy Ofield

Ella Couture

Marjorie Finley

Kayla Schneeweiss

Mark Edward Turner

Daniela Hofstetter

Rachel Brady

Where It All Started

About a month ago, I played a show with Adrian Bourgeois in Austin, and he brought with him something that I had never seen, but something that had truly changed my life when I was a teenager (and up until this day). Adrian’s dad, Brent Bourgeois, worked at Word Records at the time I started singing, and ended up signing me to the label in 2000. Anyway, long story short, Adrian gave me the demo that had landed on his dad’s desk about 12 years ago. Basically, the demo that started it all.

I thought it was pretty freaking cool to see exact copy that was listened to and that led to me signing with the label. And not only did he give me the demo, there was still a note attached to the cover from the publisher, Shari Saba, to Brent:

It says “Brent, As per–no picture yet, but one can be obtained if you like this. She supposedly “looks the part”. 15 years old. Let me know ASAP“.

I find this hilarious because at 15 the only “part” I looked ready to play was that of a competitive eating champion. Ha. Apparently I cleaned up real nice.

So, this has just been really inspiring to kind of look back to what went on in my life ten years ago, when something so unexpected happened, and realize that truly anything is possible. Cheeeeeeze. But true. And as I get set to record my fourth album, I feel encouraged and hopeful and inspired to just write the music I love because I love it, like I did in the very beginning. And if there’s room out there on someone’s desk for a copy, so be it.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life #5

D

Dog Parenting
Ronald, that’s not your toy! Drop it. Drop it now! Give it back this instant, Ronald. I’m so sorry about this, he’s never this way. Well, I know, but he should know better. Ronald! Don’t you walk away from me. Bad dog. Bad!

Dollar Store Figurines
So incredibly strange. I understand making a trip to ye olde dollar store to pick up gag gifts, random cheap cleaning supplies, or a Mylar birthday balloon. But have you seen the figurine aisle? It must be a 99 cent store rule to have shelves upon shelves of crystal dolphins, rip off versions of Precious Moments angels, wooden fishermen (with dangling fish), and inspirational quotes engraved on brass plaques. King Dollar and the like might be the only places where you can pick up a White Elephant gift that is actually a white elephant (made of plaster, of course). On top of the bizarreness factor, many of the figurines are damaged, which makes for a display full of conspicuously missing ears, angels with one wing, and headless Roman goddesses. I’m not sure who, if anyone, is led to purchase such items, and I do apologize if you, the reader, have partaken in such activity. As for me, I’ll grab some cheap scrunchies and call it a day.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life #4

C

Candy Corn
On my personal hierarchy of sweets, candy corn are at the top. Mainly because they are pointy.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it. Anything you want to, do it! Want to change the world? There’s nothing to it.

Gene Wilder or an old sage? You be the judge. Then again, the oompa loompas add a disturbing new dimension to the problem, don’t they?

Coffeeshops, Distractions At The
What can possibly be accomplished in an environment where mochas are grinding, friends are talking behind each other’s backs, and music is eerily similar to Phoebe’s Smelly Cat? Something, I’m sure. But certainly not studying.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life #3

B

Bottled Water

First lesson learned in the UT College of Communication: Bottled water is a perfect example of the power of advertising. Think about it. Marketers convinced consumers that an otherwise free product is worth paying for quoth the raven (a raven named Professor Wilcox). Wow, I thought. He’s right! What kind of career am I getting myself into? Selling people things that are free? How devious! But after much reflection, I began to see the other side. It’s semi-common knowledge that tap water not only tastes like chemicals, it actually contains them. So, yes, there is a taste difference. Plus, when one starts to imagine the journey tap water takes through rusted, seventy-year-old pipes in order to spew out of her faucet, she might reconsider gulping down a glass full. But is it worth the wasteful plastic and money spent when you can get it free of charge? Who knows? To each his own. Just don’t be surprised when they (I?) start selling bottled air.

Bizarre Words
The words pizzeria and diarrhea sound way too similar.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life #2

A (continued)

Arithmatic
Math + Me = Migraine

Arkansas, Smackover
Growing up, my family would visit my great grandmom in Smackover, Arkansas every Thanksgiving. For seventeen years we made the journey, and every fourth Thursday in November since my grandmom’s passing, I miss being surrounded by family and angel food cake inside of her home that was built by her husband’s hands. I miss the cornbread covered in pancake syrup that my granddaddy would make in the morning. I miss playing tag in the dark with flashlights. I miss making ornaments out of styrofoam and sequins with my mom and aunts. I miss catching tadpoles with my brother, and my grandparents telling us that that was how my dad, Tad, got his name. I miss being five and losing to my grandmother at Scrabble when she played the undefeatable word dogma. I miss aiming the .22 at old Tab bottles, praying I’d hit the mark. I miss watching in awe as my dad’s rock skipped in and out of the water 10 times across the open lake. I miss being called “city folk” by old Mr. Sneed, the neighbor. I miss going into Town Square and painting plaster plates. I miss fishing in Mrs. Thomas’ lake. I miss hanging up my grandmom’s Christmas decorations the day before we headed back home. And, more than anything, I miss my grandmom.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life #1 (and a nervous rant)

It is quite early in the H-town, and I have arisen to prepare for an interview today. And by prepare, I mean I’ve woken up after four hours of attempted sleep that was interrupted hourly by anxious thoughts of the event, sat down with my fifth cup of coffee to prepare my mind for the impending conversations, and ultimately decided that writing something, anything at all, would be a great way to prepare for an interview that is centered around my ability to write. So here I am, pounding on the Powerbook keys, hoping the nervous anticipation will dissipate. Alas, that has yet to happen.

On another note, I’ve decided to post a project that was completed during my final semester at UT. If you haven’t read Amy Rosenthal’s Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, I highly recommend. She chronicles her “ordinary life”, and it comes alphabetized and all with charts, tables, etc. It’s ridiculously entertaining, and we were asked to duplicate Rosenthal’s book (using our own lives, of course) in my Copywriting Seminar last fall. So, here is entry #1. Let’s start from the very beginning – a very good place to start! (oh, and MAJOR props if you caught that reference).

A

After-The-Fact, Things I’m Glad I Did
Working out. Going to the dentist. Reading a book. Skipping the carrot cake. Speaking the truth. Cleaning the apartment. Staying in for the night. Enduring college. Hand writing a letter. Backing up the hard drive. Making up the bed. Shaving my legs. Deciding not to procrastinate. Straightening my hair. Waking up with the sun. Taking a risk. Washing the dishes. Doing something when bored. Doing nothing when bored.